Let me explain in a moment, first off, I just wanted to give this film the review it deserves. Most of you should know the premise of the film, but for those of you who have been under a rock the last few weeks I will explain.

The story is based on an incident that happened several years ago when an unmanned train sped toward a dangerous turn, loaded with toxic materials. With no certain way to stop the train from exploding, two conductors devise a plan to stop the train by catching up to it in reverse and pulling it the other direction.

The beauty of this film, however, is the human level of emotion portrayed by the main actors Denzel Washington, and Chris Pine. Let me just say, we all know the intensity that Denzel Washington can portray. He’s won two Oscars, and been nominated for who knows how many more. The performance I want to speak about it that of Chris Pine. I have enjoyed his work since his portrayal of the Neo Nazi Skinhead in “Smokin’ Aces”, and even more so as Captain James T. Kirk in “Star Trek”.  This movie in my opinion shows a side of Chris Pine I haven’t seen. He plays a struggling twenty something father, trying to make it in a world where he makes mistakes just like the rest of us.

The story is a little played up, and of course that is the job of an adaptation of a real event. However, the realistic roles played by these two actors, and especially the portrayal done by Chris Pine merits viewing this film. It’s entertaining, it will make you laugh, and it will make you wish you knew how to drive a train. I know I was tempted to bust out my old train track and figure out how to join up with the Union Pacific.

In the end, I gave it 3.5/5 stars. It was filmed well, it portrayed a compelling story, and it is a must see of the year.

Now, on to my next point: In that theater, there were probably only about twenty people. What does that tell me? That tells me two important things:

1. As film goers, our perception of a film is too heavily based in the trailer: The reason why I think this is such a big problem is that too many people place their interest, entirely misguidedly, into trailers. They think they can understand the complexities and inner performances of a film based entirely off of a two minute barrage of clips in no specific order. I would like to invite anyone who reads this article, to take a risk the next time they see a movie they dislike just based on the trailer. Go see it. You will most likely be surprised.
2. Our ignorance in understanding the film industry, the writing process, and film production limits our ability to see gems: I can’t tell you how many times I have heard people complain ‘They cut so much out of the book” As I started to study screenwriting as a craft, I stumbled upon many articles that discussed something referred to as “Adaptation”. People don’t understand that the contexts of a novel are completely different than that of a motion picture. You cannot maintain the same story, with everything in detail in the parameters of 120 pages in 12pt Courier. That being said, this is only one of those moments where I have to say a lack of education regarding how films are made can be detrimental to both the viewing experience, and the financial success of a movie.

That is really my main topic of discussion. Because we as humans are too lazy to really try to understand how or why something works. In the end, I feel that we should focus more on context and quality of work, not just qualms we have based on some ridiculous idea of how things should be done in our undereducated minds, myself not excluded.

Red Dead Redemption

All of my life I have loved video games. From my first touch of an Atari Joy Stick, to the blisters on my thumbs on a Super Nintendo, I’ve enjoyed it. In the past, we were told our minds would melt, or our vision would get blurry the more we played video games or stared at a TV screen. We now know that isn’t true, it’s just a common step in the aging process due to your skull getting bigger and your eyes staying the same size (ask your optometrist).

The point I am trying to make here is, we live in a different world. What used to be common place novel reading has now turned into electronic storytelling. Video games are not just a medium of mind wasting flashes of light, it is storytelling post 1965. It is a medium growing faster than any other, publishing dipped to $23.5 billion dollars, but the gaming industry brought in $19.66 billion last year. Compared to the film industry, $10.6 billion in 2009 (US).

That’s huge. And what’s my point to explaining all of this? Well if you can’t guess by the giant cowboy at the top of this post, I’m writing a review about Red Dead Redemption. Bringing the old west, and a little bit of Clint Eastwood awesome, this has my vote for game of the year so far.

I’ll be honest, in my fight to be something in this world I’ve temporarily sworn off video games, but Red Dead Redemption got me. There are few titles that get me to break my solid drive to be a screenwriter, Assassin’s Creed, and GTA IV did it two years ago, The Force Unleashed got me last year, and this is the title that got me this year.

The story follows John Marsten, a former outlaw in the old west. Times are changing, the FBI is being formed and they are trying to do the job of the old cowboys and gunslingers. With the reach of the government hitting the settlements on the new American frontier, life for old outlaws are changing. In the story, John Marsten’s old gang members are terrorizing the adjacent province of New Austin, and the government thinks John is just the man to fix the problem. They kidnap his family, and force him to chase down his former family. The game starts with you showing up at an abandoned fort over run with one of the gang members. As he approaches and tries to talk him down the gang opens fire, leaving our hero to die.

As John lays there, a group of farmers stumble upon him, heal him and get him back on the road to revenge. The fight now becomes personal as this is the second time that John has been left by his gang with a bullet in him.

The chase begins all over the territory, the Mexican border, and the northern territory. John is forced to team up interesting characters to fulfill his mission and get his family back, including a slick “elixer” salesman, a grave digger, a drunken irishman, a rebel leader, a mexican general, a cocaine addicted scholar from Yale, and even the very lawmen who hold his wife captive.

The scenery is beautiful and dangerous. Coyotes, wolves, bobcats, cougars and even bears roam the land and are willing to kill anything that crosses their path. Learn how to handle your guns, master quick draws, learn to gamble with the best of them and stake your claim at becoming a legend in the Mexican west.

All-in-all, it’s my pick for game of the year. Not sure still? Grab a copy and start playing, you’ll find yourself wanting to steal horses, and shoot anything that moves around you. I know I did (but I didn’t actually do it).